 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2001-09-13 11:56
hello everyone,
i may be selling a couple of my horns either on ebay or privately. i have never sold one before and would like to know from those with experience what would be some good rules so that it works out for the buyer and seller. and anything i should watch out for as a seller.
thank you,
janlynn
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Author: kenabbott
Date: 2001-09-13 12:37
I have done many trades on Ebay including some big-ticket trades. Effective communication is most important. As a seller, I would also check feedback. Feel free to email the people who have left feedback for the buyer on Ebay if that's the sales medium you choose. Use the newsgroups also. I have received good info from people in the sax newsgroup.
Remember that as a seller, you don't have to ship anything until funds received are good; that is standard practice. The flip side is that you MUST make sure that you describe the instrument fully, warts and all. I usually go out of my way to describe and photograph any flaws.
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Author: Brenda Siewert
Date: 2001-09-13 13:26
Find a way to get a good photo or photos of your instrument onto the eBay auction page. You'll need access to a scanner or digital camera to accomplish that. Then, make sure you are accessible to people for questions and answer those promptly. Show serial nos. in the photos and be sure to disclose any flaws in the instrument in an open and honest fashion--cracks, scratches on the keys, bad corks, pads, broken latches on the case--anything like that that the buyer will need to know to make a good judgement call on what to bid.
Learn how to package and ship the instrument so it can withstand rough handling in shipping. You might check with a shipping dept. in a music store.
Offer people a reasonable refund policy that allows you to get your eBay fees back in case they decide to send the instrument back to you. I've had people return mouthpieces, but never an instrument and I've sold hundreds of clarinets on eBay and through email inquiries. Look at my set up on eBay--I'm clarinetgrammy.
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Author: David Kinder
Date: 2001-09-13 15:12
I've sold a couple of clarinets right here on the sneezy classifieds. I second all that has been said, and I have also volunteered my phone number for the buyer to contact me directly. If they call me directly, I know they're serious about buying and I can get a feel of their character. It's also much quicker to speak than to play "email tag" back and forth.
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Author: drew
Date: 2001-09-13 17:56
Probably echoing the above, but FULL disclosure of the instrument, model, serial number, and condition is key. A trial period will make the buyer feel more comfortable, especially if the horn is a big ticket purchase or "vintage" as in old. I mention this as many vintage instruments have minor warts and scars. These blemishes may be inconsequential to you or I, but can very well be critical items to the buyer.
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Author: mw
Date: 2001-09-13 18:29
We sell on eBay, locally and on various websites. When we sell locally we allow trial & return.
We try to adhere to the following in Online Auctions: Follow the Golden Rule, "do unto others ...". Honesty is the best policy. If you think it might (possibly) be an issue, than it _IS_, so DISCLOSE it. Don't take advantage of people.
Our Auction Policy is to accept NO RETURNS, unless we fail to accurately describe the physical or operational condition of the Auction item. That is, an Auction involves the purchase/sale of property to the HIGHEST bidder. An Auction envrironment is **NOT** a retail environment. A RETAIL environment makes provision for the return of goods. We do allow for the human side of things occasionally --- on a case-by-case basis -- we listen to sob stories & put ourselves in somebody else's position as much as we can. (Someone who walks over you or plays games, will do it to the next Tom, Dick or Harry !)
No offense BUT : The respondents thus far are NOT in a for-profit business or are suffering the affects of "bidder-side" influences! I have no such influences. Buy low, sell high --- period -- end of tape. After you are done, don't think you have recreated the wheel, you haven't.
Paypal, Yahoo PayDirect, c2it, and others electronic payment purveyors are GREAT. When a buyer is confirmed, verified or BOTH --- you have the real mccoy financially & that (begins) to provide credibility.
We don't charge re-stock fees & if we make a mistake we eat the shipping, fees &
whatnot.
Prepare to be screwed occasionally on eBay. Keep a stiff upper lip & repeat 3 times very slowly ("this is the future, this is the future, this is the future").
We charge for shipping. We don't do so at "actual cost", because we would lose our butts. Some body stuck me from Canada yesterday for a $4.00 total shipping and it will cost more. You can't fight. When they have sent payment, you are pretty much stuck ... even if it's short. Do it another way & they'll give you a NEG on eBay. We charge about $2-3 bucks more than actual cost. It takes care of (man) shortfalls & allows us to purchase & use better packing materials & tape (3M tear proof/strong Package Tape is about $4 a roll). We end up being much cheaper than online music catalogue shipping.
Good luck to you.
mw
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-09-15 01:07
Ditto on all the foregone.
I can't begin to tell you how many times someone I am trying to buy an instrument from has told me that it only needs pads.
In fact it hapenned to me just today. I spent three hours driving accross town in a storm to look at a nearly worthless instrument that someone was selling as a valuable antique, only to return home disappointed and gravely annoyed.
I buy, sell and trade in clarinets and saxophones for personal enjoyment and to continue upgrading my "collection," and when someone wastes my time so miserably, I get extremely upset. Consequently, I have set myself a strict policy of never leaving anything undisclosed, always telling the truth, and making lots of photos available.
That way, there is no reason for anyone to try to return anything to you, except their own change of mind or some other latent whim come out in the aftermath.
This policy I set myself has lost me some sales or trades, but the serious people I sell to, or trade with have never tried to return anything and they all keep calling me back to see if I have a particular instrument, or know where they might find one. (Since I am not in this for a profit, I also hook other people up directly if I can.)
Human nature may tempt you to do differently, but don't fall prey to the little devil on your shoulder. Do it right and develop a good reputation for yourself. After that, very few people will question your word.
Of course, I am referring to people who are serious about such endevours.
When I started in this, I quickly learned to cull out the idiots and now I get rid of them at the first and slightest hint of anything untoward on their part.
To do this, you must disabuse yourself of any regret over losing any sale, trade or purchase, and believe that for every "good" deal you lose today, there are ten more coming down the pike right at you.
These "other" people I am talking about are not going to do "good" business with you. They will cost you money and are nothing more than spilled water (not even milk!)
Good luck in your sales.
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Author: Peter
Date: 2001-09-15 01:12
Ditto on all the foregone.
I can't begin to tell you how many times someone I am trying to buy an instrument from has told me that it only needs pads.
In fact it hapenned to me just today. I spent three hours driving accross town in a storm to look at a nearly worthless instrument that someone was selling as a valuable antique, only to return home disappointed and gravely annoyed.
I buy, sell and trade in clarinets and saxophones for personal enjoyment and to continue upgrading my "collection," and when someone wastes my time so miserably, I get extremely upset. Consequently, I have set myself a strict policy of never leaving anything undisclosed, always telling the truth, and making lots of photos available.
That way, there is no reason for anyone to try to return anything to you, except their own change of mind or some other latent whim come out in the aftermath.
This policy I set myself has lost me some sales or trades, but the serious people I sell to, or trade with have never tried to return anything and they all keep calling me back to see if I have a particular instrument, or know where they might find one. (Since I am not in this for a profit, I also hook other people up directly if I can.)
Human nature may tempt you to do differently, but don't fall prey to the little devil on your shoulder. Do it right and develop a good reputation for yourself. After that, very few people will question your word.
Of course, I am referring to people who are serious about such endevours.
When I started in this, I quickly learned to cull out the idiots and now I get rid of them at the first and slightest hint of anything untoward on their part.
To do this, you must disabuse yourself of any regret over losing any sale, trade or purchase, and believe that for every "good" deal you lose today, there are ten more coming down the pike right at you.
These "other" people I am talking about are not going to do "good" business with you. They will cost you money and are nothing more than spilled water (not even milk!)
Good luck in your sales.
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